2012 NFL Draft: Today's War Room Thoughts for the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers, like any team in the NFL, have some clearly-defined needs on their roster. With the team is never a major player in free agency—and this year, also dealing with salary cap issues that have further kept them from spending on veterans—those needs will need to be met by the draft.

Two areas of concern this year are on offense—namely running back and quarterback. Head coach Mike Tomlin said yesterday that the Steelers would try to pick up one of each in this year's draft. Let's take a look at some of the better prospects.

Running Back

While a number of solid free agent running backs remain on the market, the Steelers' cap situation may dictate that the draft be the way they bolster the position.

Clearly, running back won't be an early-round priority. Instead, the Steelers will try to find a good talent-to-value ratio, and look for a player in the fourth, fifth or sixth rounds. These players could include Oregon's LaMichael James, Cincinnati's Isaiah Pead or Florida's Chris Rainey.

Pead and James were used far more than Rainey in 2011. Pead had 237 carries for 1,259 yards and 12 scores, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. James bested him with 1,805 yards on 247 carries, with 18 scores and a 7.3 yards per carry average. In contrast, Rainey rushed just 171 times last year, for 861 yards and 2 touchdowns, but still averaged an impressive five yards per carry.

The Steelers have themselves a decent collection of running backs on the roster—Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, John Clay, Baron Batch—but they do need a change-of-pace back with a high degree of speed. Pead, James and Rainey are just that kind of rusher.

Quarterback

Another comment Tomlin made this week was that they'll be looking at quarterbacks in this year's draft, albeit not one they anticipate grooming into a starter.

All three of Ben Roethlisberger's backups are unrestricted free agents right now; they'll probably bring back either or both of Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich, but they also need someone younger on the roster to both work with practice squad players and be a just-in-case option to replace the unlikely to return Dennis Dixon.

Tomlin has already dined with Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, which makes it seem like the Steelers have at least some interest in drafting him. Otherwise, later-round options include Arizona's Nick Foles, Jacory Harris of Miami (FL), LSU's Jordan Jefferson or Boise State's Kellen Moore.

Again, whoever they add would need to be comfortable in a backup/depth role and know that the Steelers won't be grooming them to ultimately become their starter.

Whoever they add could get solid development in Pittsburgh and blossom into a viable starter elsewhere, but the main thing the Steelers will have to look at in quarterback prospects this year is their willingness to sit and learn and do little more on gamedays.

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